Rachel Zoe: Jewelry Classics Every Woman Should Own

Yesterday morning, I headed to Tiffany & Co.‘s Fifth Avenue flagship for the unveiling of stylist/designer/TV personality Rachel Zoe‘s window displays. Each of the five windows was inspired by a specific decade. For instance, the 1930s one featured a peacock feather and black Art Deco beads, while the 1960s display contained Jean Schlumberger’s exquisite Fleur de Mer brooch, a treasure once owned by Elizabeth Taylor.

During the Q&A, I asked Rachel to name a few pieces that a woman looking to build her own fine jewelry collection should focus on, since the price of precious gems can obviously add up fast. "Definitely something with diamonds," she said. "A thin strand of them to wear either around your neck or wrist, or a beautiful little pair of stud earrings. I’m a huge fan of yellow gold, so that’s my personal favorite setting for them."

Unsurprisingly, Rachel is also is a fan of piling on jewelry rather than keeping things subtle. "I definitely recommend pearls, but for layering purposes," she told me. And she half-jokingly warned us all that shopping for gems can quickly become an addiction. "Seriously, once you start collecting pieces, it sort of just snowballs from there!" she laughed.

When it came to creating her displays for the iconic jewelry brand, the fashion fixture said she approached the task the same way would a red carpet moment. "After all, jewelry is always what sets the tone for the whole look when I’m dressing a woman," she said. "Except with these windows, in many cases I had to convey an entire message with just a single piece." Mission accomplished.

Check out two of the decades-themed windows below, now on view at Tiffany’s NYC flagship store and soon to be replicated at the company’s Beverly Hills, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore and London locations.